Dublin: A section of people to protest against the lockdown and face mask announced by the government as part of the Covid defense.
The Garda Public Order Unit is preparing to counter the anti-lockdown-face mask protests they have announced will take place in Dublin today.
Garda hopes the event will reflect the mass protests against the Oireachtas Golf Society’s anniversary celebrations that violated the Covid guidelines. The garda is also considering the possibility of coercion and violence during the protests. The Garda has instructed Store Street officials, members around the city and the public order unit to take all possible precautions.
The top Garda officials have expressed concern that the left and right-wing forces may try to escalate the protest by dragging up the Wednesday’s golf controversy and tightened Covid restrictions.
The protest is being organized by Health Freedom Ireland with the support of Yellow West Ireland. Although Health Freedom Ireland claims that, they are a non-political organization, it has been observed that such protests are being staged in the country with the support of far-right forces. Although the organization has stated that it is organizing a peaceful protest, the Garda does not rule out the possibility of violence and coercion.
The recent protests against Child Welfare Minister Roderic O’Gorman, who spoke out in support of child abuse, have led to clashes and minor violence.
The style of the protesters is to organize buses and bring people from different parts of the country. The Garda believes that more people will come from abroad to spread the protests.
The Garda has also received information that Querdenken, a German group that organized large-scale anti-lockdown protests in Berlin, has also arranged buses to the area.
The group is led by kinesiologist and anti – vaccination campaigner, Mave Muran and Kelly Johnson.
Kelly Johnson is a homeopath who claims that vaccines can cause autism. Dolores Cahill, chairman of the Irish Freedom Party, and Ben Gilroy, an anti – eviction campaigner, will address protests in Dublin today. Ben Gilroy has been barred by the court from acting as a legal adviser.
In a statement, the protesters said that the issues they raised were, even when they bring their own hand sanitizer, they are forced to use those which provided by the stores, and also regarding social distancing in schools and wearing face masks.
In May, the Health Freedom Ireland had called for an end to the Covid lockdown.